The Cooking Princess - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Princess Who Cooks

Episode 31

Shuel really seemed to love the pizza, as he devoured four whole slices out of the eight by himself.

Considering he was twelve years old, that was quite a lot to eat.

After eating all that, when cold shaved ice came out for dessert, he didn’t refuse that either and ate it up.

He ate the milk shaved ice that melted smoothly in his mouth while continuing his endless admiration and praise.

“After tasting the Duchess’s food before, I began enjoying food for the first time in my life.”

He closed his eyes as if savoring the milk shaved ice, then swallowed and looked directly at Chloe with his still sparkling golden eyes as he spoke.

“And that hasn’t changed even now.”

“Thank you so much.”

At the cooking praise from the original story’s male protagonist, Chloe didn’t know what to do with herself.

Whether he knew she was embarrassed or not, he praised the food with every bite he took.

“There wouldn’t be a single person in the Empire who would dislike the Duchess’s food.”

Well, of course.

Chloe didn’t always extract the original flavors, but also added flavors that people of the Luzhiere Empire would enjoy, so it made sense that the Empire’s citizens would love her food.

Shuel said he would come often to be treated to food in the future, then left the Garnet Estate with a happy face, patting his full belly as he headed to the Imperial Palace.

***

The Garnet Family immediately visited the Imperial Palace to formally protest.

Of course, it was justified. Chloe was the only heir of the Count’s family and even a guest invited by the Imperial Palace, yet she hadn’t simply been treated poorly but had fallen into water and lost consciousness.

Grania Garnet, Count showed no intimidation even before the Emperor, and instead openly displayed his anger while persistently demanding Claude’s punishment.

If only the Count had been there, the Emperor would have tried to cover up this matter roughly, but the Count had anticipated this as well.

So the Count had searched out and brought as witnesses not only Shuel, Prince and his attendant to the meeting with the Emperor, but also several nobles who had been invited to the Imperial Palace that day and happened to witness the incident.

At their consistent testimony, the middle-aged Emperor sighed with a displeased expression. When he furrowed his brow, his impression looked even sharper.

“Hmm.”

Chloe saw Emperor Felix III’s face for the first time in that place.

His overall impression resembled Shuel, but fitting his setting as a warmonger, he exuded a sharp and cold atmosphere. And he seemed very indifferent to what was happening before his eyes.

‘Even so, it’s your bastard son who caused trouble, so pay some attention, won’t you?’

Whether the Emperor was openly showing that this was bothersome and annoying or not, the Count sternly interrogated Claude.

“Let the Grand Duke speak for himself. Is it true that my daughter fell into the water because of the Grand Duke? In the Imperial Palace where she should have received protection from the royal family as a guest?”

Throughout the Count’s protests and the witnesses’ testimonies, Claude, who had remained silent with a haggard expression, answered in a rough tone.

“…I acknowledge it. It was a mistake.”

‘This is somewhat unexpected.’

Claude, who seemed like he would deny it to the end, perhaps thinking denial was meaningless, obediently admitted his fault.

Whether this wasn’t a matter the Empress had agreed to, she sharply called out Claude’s name.

“Claude!”

However, he didn’t answer her and obediently spoke toward the Emperor.

“I apologize for causing trouble for the Imperial Palace. I will submit to whatever punishment you decide.”

At his words, the Empress’s face turned even more livid.

While everyone was looking back and forth between the Emperor and the Grand Duke, reading the atmosphere, the Emperor replied listlessly with a completely uninterested face.

“This has become troublesome. Cloud, Duke’s punishment shall be sending him to the Northern Front Frontline.”

At the Emperor’s indifferent words, a deathly silence fell over the Audience Chamber.

The Northern Front Frontline was a battlefield where fierce combat took place daily. There were more than a few soldiers who were injured or killed not long after being deployed there.

No matter how talented Claude was with the sword, he was still only twelve years old.

He was too young to be sent to the frontline where even renowned commanders died.

The Empress, who had been momentarily speechless, objected with a face that had turned pale.

“Your Majesty! That’s too harsh. Claude is also Your Majesty’s child, yet you’re sending this young son to his death over such a trivial matter!”

But the Emperor remained listless. His tone was so indifferent that even the claim that he cherished the Empress became questionable.

“He had to go and touch the Count’s heir of all people. What can I do? When the Count is being this aggressive, if I punish him lightly, other nobles will make a fuss too, so there’s no choice.”

“Your Majesty!”

“If you were so worried about that child, you should have kept him in line properly. This happened because you let him run wild without any sense of judgment.”

The Emperor acted indifferently as if Claude had nothing to do with him and was solely the Empress’s son.

At the cold answer, the Empress’s eyes turned red, but she couldn’t say anything more. She knew that no matter what she said, the Emperor wouldn’t be persuaded.

When the Empress became quiet, no one else opened their mouth. Then the Emperor looked directly into the eyes of Chloe, who was frozen in silence, with an extremely arrogant gaze and said.

“How about it. Are you satisfied, young lady?”

‘Of course…’

There was no way she could be satisfied!

‘No. This is really driving me crazy. That’s not punishment!’

She had watched his swordsmanship several times under the pretext of sword training. Above all, having read the ‘original story,’ Chloe already knew well how extraordinary Claude’s swordsmanship was.

Even if he were dropped onto a battlefield right now, he would survive well and even grow stronger.

While it looked like excessive punishment on the surface, Claude with his cruel nature might actually be like a fish in water on the battlefield.

‘Have I perhaps just given wings to the original story’s villain?’

But she couldn’t argue any further.

The punishment of sending a mere twelve-year-old to the frontline was indeed excessively harsh.

If she objected here, people would obviously blame the Garnet Family, and she had no justification.

Since the victim Chloe accepted it, the Garnet Family also accepted the punishment without much complaint.

Just as things were wrapping up like that.

Claude, who had looked like a dead person the entire time, spoke in a rough voice.

“Before heading to the frontline, I would like you to grant me one request.”

“What is it?”

Perhaps because the Emperor felt lighter thinking the matter was over, or maybe because he felt sorry for giving such harsh punishment to his son after all, he asked in a slightly softer voice.

And at that very moment, Chloe and Claude’s gazes met exactly.

Claude, who had never once looked toward Chloe, was looking directly at her.

Chloe felt a strange uneasiness and turned her gaze away.

“Before I leave, I would like to have a private meeting with the Duchess.”

When the perpetrator made the strange request to have a private meeting with the victim before receiving punishment, the Audience Chamber stirred.

Grania Garnet, Count raised his voice in great anger.

“What nonsense are you talking about! If you thought I would let my daughter be alone with the Grand Duke, you’re gravely mistaken!”

The Emperor glanced at the Count once, then asked Claude.

“Do you have a reason?”

“I want to properly apologize to the Duchess in a private setting.”

At that ridiculous statement, Chloe inwardly questioned with displeasure.

‘What?’

The Emperor’s gaze now turned to Chloe.

“So he says. What will you do, Duchess?”

At that question, she answered without bothering to hide her displeasure.

“I’ll consider the apology I heard here as sufficient.”

Now he wants to meet one-on-one. What kind of retaliation was she supposed to crawl in there to receive?

Chloe, who was dumbfounded, finished those words, bowed, and left the Audience Chamber.

So she didn’t know how desperate Claude’s face looked after she turned away.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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